Ruffian Games: Obsessive tendencies are good for game design

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Crackdown 2 developer on the benefits of an obsessive approach to development

In a feature written for Develop, Ruffian Games creative director Billy Thomson has been discussing the benefits having an obsessive approach to developing games.

"I believe every good game designer must have a little bit of an obsessive compulsive disorder deep down in them somewhere," said Thomson.

Talking frankly about his own habit of nit picking over details, Thomson admitted: "I also think it makes me far more effective at my job. It doesn’t make me a better designer, but just stops me from settling for something that I don’t think is up to scratch.

In the same piece, Thomson also discusses the negative impact of nit picking a design team: "While I believe this single-minded approach can be of massive benefit, it can also be an issue if taken too far. Too many games never see the light of day because the vision holder simply won’t compromise."